Don't Like to Wear Shorts? Try These!

As we transition our wardrobes for the change of seasons, you may find yourself not too excited about the prospect of wearing shorts. Some women don’t like to wear shorts at all, no matter how hot it gets. Others would like to skip shorts all together but feel it’s a necessity because of the heat. Still others embrace shorts season but may find themselves in need of an option when shorts aren’t appropriate.

Don’t Like to Wear Shorts? Try These!

There are lots of reasons women may not like to wear shorts. For some it’s about modesty while others may not be comfortable showing their legs. It’s a very personal decision and I’ll say this: it is indeed personal. As we age our skin loses elasticity, we may experience spider or varicose veins, age spots, you know all the badges we wear of a life well lived!

As someone who’s had spider veins since the age of 14 – yes, you read that right- and who lives in a very hot and humid climate, I know what it’s like to bare your legs when you’d rather not. There were many times I had to wear shorter skirts (flag corps/dance team uniform) or shorts for PE – I managed to get by although I was self conscious. As adults we are rarely in situations where we ‘have’ to wear certain clothing, unless of course it’s part of a uniform. So lucky are we to have choices to help us keep cool and comfortable!

Clothing Alternatives

Dressing for hot weather doesn’t always mean shorts. In fact, I find that dresses are actually my 1st choice when it comes to dressing for the heat. I prefer a dress over a skirt even because the waist band on a skirt has been known to give me nasty heat rash around my mid section. May not sounds like a big deal but let me tell you – it was VERY uncomfortable and required two visits to the dermatologist.

Select a dress in a heat friendly fabric like cotton or linen – modal is a great alternative too. It doesn’t wrinkle like linen. This goes without saying but body con dresses won’t do you any favors if staying cool is the goal. A dress that skims the body will be far more comfortable. A maxi or midi dress can be a wardrobe staple for someone who doesn’t like to wear shorts. I don’t find the longer length of a dress to be bothersome or hotter than a short dress – the fabric and fit seal the deal for me.

Lightweight Pants to the Rescue

Lightweight pants that are loose fitting are excellent options for those looking for an alternative to shorts. Again fabric and fit are key but there are so many choices available that finding the right pair at the right price point is fairly easy! Last year I loved the linen pants from JCrew and Old Navy. This year, these pull on pants from Target will be on repeat in the heat. I liked them so much I got them in all three colors!

Here are some other pant options to consider:

Other Solutions

If you don’t like to wear shorts but they seem to be necessary there are other solutions. Remember the spider veins I mentioned above? Oh gosh, they were so bad it looked like I had bruises on the tops and sides of my legs. Once, while I was in college a guy asked me why I had pen marks all over my thighs. In front of a group of people. I was mortified. After having my kids I invested in sclerotherapy. It’s a process that involves injecting saline into the veins and dissolving them. It is painful I won’t lie but the pain was temporary and worth it to me. I also tried laser treatment – I thought that was more painful and actually preferred the sclerotherapy. Here’s the bottom line: both of these treatments will get rid of the spider veins you have BUT you will get more. I have not been back in years to do any more treatments.

An easier way to disguise the appearance of veins, scars, or sun spots is with self tanner or leg make up. I swear by both and have written on the subject of self tanning before. Both self tanner and leg make up have come a long way! No longer orange, you’ll find the majority of self tanners don’t have the noxious odor and the color develops beautifully and quickly. My favorite self tanner is this one. It is under $10 and works quickly. I will no longer waste money on Loving Tan.

Leg make up is also available and covers very well. Probably because of all the tattoos that so many people have and need to cover up from time to time, there are waterproof and long lasting formulas. I really like this one from Sally Hansen – it does not run nor sweat off.

Finally, I have to say that acceptance is really the final destination. I am in no way, shape, or form there myself but maybe I will be one day. I Let me also add that any measure I take to “fake” a better looking leg is done for ME not for anyone else. In the whole scheme of things, no one is really paying much attention to us but we are. So do things because they are important to YOU not to impress of gain acceptance of others.

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This week’s featured blogger is Michelle from Funky Fashion Style. Her post “Feeling Good In My Tropical Purple” says Spring to me!

Don’t Like to Wear Shorts? Try These!